While Samsung Electronics Comp., Ltd. (KSC:005930) currently dominates the thriving smartphone commodity display market, a number of Asian rivals are aiming to unseat the South Korean giant. Among them is Japan's Sharp Corp. (TYO:6753).

Sharp announced this week that it would be mass-producing a monstrous 443 ppi (pixels-per-inch) 1920x1080 pixel smartphone screen. The 5-inch screen could appear in devices as early as the holiday season, but will likely show up in greater quantities next year. The new display features a brand new pixel technology dubbed CG-Silicon, which Sharp promises brings smartphone displays in line with their full-size counterparts. Sharp's display likely makes use of the company's new "Igzo" power efficient thin-display tech, as well.

The release marks the latest round in a game of brinksmanship by Japan and South Korea's top display makers. Early this year South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. (KSC:066570) announced production of a similar 5-inch 440 ppi unit, which will likely launch in a similar window. LG calls its display technology "Retina" displays.

Sharp is thinking small with its latest 5-inch 1080 display. [Image Source: IntoMobile]

A third player is Japan's Toshiba Corp. (TYO:6502), which recently demoed a 498 ppi 6-inch display. Toshiba's display could be the most impressive of the bunch -- unfortunately it's not yet quite ready for the market.

This is no different than the number of colours that a video card could produce. It may have made sense in the beginning, but the human eye can only distinguish so much colour, much less that amount of resolution. Unless someone is trying to make a smooth transition from computer to tablet/phone or tablet/phone to computer, then there's no point. I'd rather have more crack resistant displays, better viewing angles, a better colour gamut and better sunlight visibility improvements. They could also throw in water-proof if they wanted to really impress me.

It amazes me how oblivious people are to sensory limits and when we've met them. Their eyes can only see so much, their ears can only hear so much. When you go past those limits, you're actually making things worse, because the content takes up more computer resources for no reason. More HD space, more bandwidth, more processing power... for detail increases your eyes and ears biologically CANNOT discern. You are not an eagle or a bat, you are a human.

I also find it ridiculous that 3d and now resolution is being used to deflect attention away from LCD's irresolvable issues with contrast, viewing angles, uneven backlighting, and pixel response time. We need OLED desktop monitors ASAP, I am so sick of LCD.

"So, I think the same thing of the music industry. They can't say that they're losing money, you know what I'm saying. They just probably don't have the same surplus that they had." -- Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA